AJK president pledges to carry forward mission of Jammu martyrs
He said Muslims in Jammu were first disarmed, and then killed by marauding hordes in their homes
MIRPUR (Dunya News) – Describing November 6, 1947, as the blackest day in the history of Kashmir, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President, Sardar Masood Khan on Thursday said 73 years ago on this day tens of thousands of men, women and even children were callously butchered for demanding freedom and liberty.
"We mark November 6, 1947, as the darkest day in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. On that day and in the months of October and November 1947, the Dogra Army, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Indian National Army massacred 237,000 Muslims," he said in a message on the eve of Jammu Martyrs Day being observed on Friday by Kashmiris living on both sides of LoC, Pakistan and rest of the world, AJK President office said Thursday night.
Referring to frightening killings carried out by extremist Hindus and RSS goons, aided and abetted by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh and Indian National Army, the president said it was the first genocide after the Second World War on such a massive scale.
"From November 4 to 6, Muslim population of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi were viscously targeted. Tens of thousands of people were duped into believing that they were being transported to Pakistan but near Sanba, at the Jammu Sialkot Road, they were all butchered," Khan said.
He said that Muslims in Jammu were first disarmed, and then killed by marauding hordes in their homes, in the streets and on the roads. Their houses were burnt and businesses destroyed as a result of which 61 per cent Muslim population in Jammu was reduced to 33 per cent.
He said that The Times of London, at that time, verified that 237,000 Muslims were exterminated in Jammu. The editor of the Statesmen, Ian Stephen, in his book Horned Moon, confirmed the murder of more than 200,000 Muslims in Jammu and historian Horace Alexander confirmed consent of the State authorities for these operations.
The AJK President further said that Ved Bhasin, a journalist who witnessed the massacre confirmed these mass killings and the absorption of the genocidaires in the occupied State s Cabinet and State apparatus.
"Crimes against humanity were committed and wiped off as if nothing had happened. No Nuremberg Tribunals were set up for punishing the criminals or their patrons. This day remains a blot on humanity," the president said.
He said the villainous operation was orchestrated and supervised by then Indian Home Minister Sardar Patel, Defence Minister Baldev Singh, Maharaja of Patiala and the Maharani of Kashmir," Masood added.
"The murderous campaign started against Muslims by Hindu extremists continues till this day. In the past 73 years 500,000 people have lost lives to Indian tyranny and terrorism. We demand justice. We will not rest on our oars until we win freedom for Kashmiris and the mission of Jammu martyrs is accomplished," Khan pledged.
Meanwhile, addressing a conference held here under the auspices of Jammu and Kashmir Solidarity Movement, the AJK president said that India had started vicious terrorism in 1947, and since then the Kashmiri people are being killed for demanding their inalienable right of freedom and living in dignity, and are stressing for the grant of the right of freely and independently decide their future.
He regretted that the international community had not appeared to pay heed to the call of Kashmiri people for justice for the last seven decades because it believes in the language of force only. The conference was also addressed by Maj Gen (ret) Javed Aslam, All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders Ghulam Mohammad Safi, Yousuf Nasim, Syed Manzoor Shah and Chairperson of Jammu and Kashmir Solidarity Movement Uzma Gul.
